Second Chances
by Cian'Perrel
Summary: Cyclops is hiding in the bowels of Utopia after seeing Emma kissing Namor, and a certain purple haired telepath is on the prowl; intent on correcting a mistake she made in the past.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: This story came to me when I was reading the new Uncanny X-Men #1, and saw the 'Things to Come' section at the end. On it, there is a picture of Emma Frost and Namor kissing quite passionately. It allowed me to revisit a storyline that I have always wished Marvel would have pursued. I would like to thank **Shejams** for being my Beta for this story, and helping me decide which ending to use.

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men or any other Marvel characters.

**Second Chances**

She walks deeper and deeper into the bowels of Utopia, knowing that she'll find him working on something mechanical, in an isolated location. He likes to get his hands dirty when he's stressed out; it seems to be therapeutic for him, allowing him to work things out in his head, without actually having to deal with them face to face.

She reaches out with her telepathy, just ever so slightly, trying to get a sense on which direction he is, without tipping him off to her approach. *The hanger; typical.* She thinks, as she can sense him just further down the hall.

She approaches the hanger, silently opening the door, and steps inside. There, she sees Cyclops standing on a ladder under the Blackbird, performing some maintenance. *Talk about déjà-vu.* She thinks. She reaches out and gently brushes his mind, just enough to get a sense of his thoughts. The complexity of what she sees astounds her.

Normally, when Cyclops is dealing with as much as he is now, he would take a little vacation, and escape to his grandparents place in Alaska, to clear his mind; but since he became the leader of all mutant kind, he no longer has that luxury. Professor X may have been okay with running off whenever he felt like it, but Cyclops is not Professor X; he cares too much, and feels responsible for everyone.

She glides across the open space between them, and approaches the ladder. "Scott." She calls out, but he doesn't hear her, is ignoring her, or is too preoccupied with his own thoughts. "Scott." She calls out again, a little louder this time.

He shakes his head, and turns around to face her. *At least this time, he didn't fall off the ladder.* She thinks.

"Betsy?" He asks. "Is something wrong?" He slowly steps down from the ladder, and places the tools in the toolbox next to the ladder.

"I came to ask you the same thing, Scott." Psylocke replies.

Scott looks back at the Blackbird, rubbing the back of his neck with her right hand. "I was just doing some routine maintenance on the Blackbird; she's a little overdue."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Scott, and you know it." Psylocke replies, planting a hand on her hip, and raising an eyebrow.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Betsy." Scott replies, picking up the tools, and turning back to the ladder. "I really need to get back to work."

Before his hand can close on the ladder, Psylocke kicks it away, sending it clattering onto the floor, several feet away. "Not until we talk, Scott." She says, reaching for the tools, and taking them out of his hands without a struggle.

"I don't want to talk." Cyclops says, looking down at his feet.

"No, what you want to do is get on a plane and head up to Alaska to visit your grandparents, where you'll brood for a while, until you can finally come to terms with everything." She says. "But you can't do that anymore, can you? You can't abandon Utopia."

She surprised to see him actually smiling. "Am I that transparent, or are you just using your new found Omega level telepathy?" He asks.

"I don't need telepathy to read you, Scott." She says. "I just know you too well."

His smile disappears, and he sighs. "Fine; you want to talk then let's talk." He reaches up and presses a button, dropping the access ramp to the Blackbird. "Let's at least sit down comfortably."

He walks up the access ramp, closely followed by Psylocke. When they are on board, Psylocke closes the access ramp, and joins Cyclops in the cockpit. She sits down in the co-pilots seat, and turns it to face him.

She waits, in silence, for him to begin, but starts to get impatient. "Would you say something, already?"

"I don't even know where to begin." He says, starring out of the cockpit window.

"How about with what finally drove you down here?" She suggests.

He continues starring out the window.

"Scott, I know what happened." She says, reaching out and placing a hand on top of his. "You weren't the only person who happened to come across that scene earlier."

She sees a look of hurt, and anger cross his face, but he's too good at hiding his emotions, that they are only there for a brief second, before his features return to their natural stoic expression.

"Anyone else?" He asks.

"I don't think so." Psylocke replies. "I tried to keep the area clear, so that no one else would see, but I don't know how long they were going at it before I got there, or if anybody else saw."

"11 minutes, 23 seconds." Cyclops states, emotionlessly.

"You watched the whole time?" Psylocke asks.

He nods in reply. "I had a perfect view from the balcony in my office."

"Scott, I'm so sorry." She says, rubbing the back of his hand.

"Yeah, it seems that everyone is always sorry." He mumbles.

"Have you spoken to Emma yet?" She asks.

"Yeah. She came to find me right after she left him, and started apologizing; saying that it was just a kiss, and a minor lapse in judgment." He replies.

"11 minutes doesn't seem like a minor lapse to me." Psylocke says.

Cyclops actually starts laughing, surprising Psylocke again. "That's exactly what I told her." As quickly as the laughter started, it stops, and Cyclops leans forward in his seat, to stare at his hands. "I just…" He starts to say, but gets chocked up.

Psylocke shifts her hand to his back, and starts rubbing large circles on it. "You can talk to me, Scott."

"I just don't know what to do; what to believe." He finally says, after several moments of silence. "You're right, I do want to run away, so I can think; but I don't have that luxury anymore. I need to come to a decision soon, or this could tear apart everything I'm trying to do here."

"Scott…" Psylocke says quietly, causing him to look up at her. "…sometimes we just need to let things go, and realize that what the heart wants is not always the best thing for us." She catches his eye, and he can see pain and sadness in her face. "Sometimes, love can cloud our judgment, and lead us away from the right path."

"I'm sorry about Warren." Scott says.

She smiles sadly. "As much as I love Warren, and want to be with him, I've come to realize that it's not meant to be; our paths are not meant to be travelled together." She looks into his eyes, or as close to it as she can see through his glasses. "I think that fate brought me back, not to have a second chance with Warren, but to correct a mistake I made years ago."

Cyclops must have been thinking along the same lines as her, because she is surprised, but delighted, when he reaches forward, cupping her face, and pulls her into a kiss. But just like last time, he pulls away too soon, and she can tell he is about to leave.

Not wanting to give him the chance this time, Psylocke pushes him back into his seat, and climbs into his lap, straddling him. "You're not going anywhere." She says.

"Betsy?" Cyclops asks, confused, and a little frightened.

"Scott, years ago, I made it abundantly clear about my attraction to you, and then I made a huge mistake and let you run off and make your own choice; and you chose wrong, Luv. I'm sorry to say it after all this time, but Jean was not the right decision; she was unhealthy for you then. Just like Emma is unhealthy for you now." She says.

"I don't…" Cyclops starts to say, but Psylocke places a finger to his lips to silence him.

"She is Scott; you deserve someone who won't be pinning over someone else when they should be with you. Jean had a weakness for Logan, and Emma has one for Namor."

Cyclops removes her hand, and says, "And you have one for Warren."

"I love Warren, I won't deny that; but unlike Jean and Emma, I understand that he and I are not meant to be, and I can accept that." She says. "I'm not going to be giving you the chance to make your own decision this time, Luv; I'm making it for you." She leans forward and captures his lips again, and is rewarded when he returns the kiss.

* * *

><p>Neither of them are seen for several hours, but when Cyclops finally returns to the room he shares with Emma Frost, he finds her sitting on the bed, next to several packed suitcases.<p>

Cyclops stands in the doorway looking at her. "I wasn't sure if it was over, or not." She says, sadness evident in her voice.

"I love you Em, but it's over." Cyclops replies. "I can't be in another relationship with someone who is not with me 100%."

"But it was simply a kiss, Darling; nothing more." Emma says, standing up and walking towards Cyclops. "Namor means nothing to me, Scott; I love you."

"I know you do Em; that's why this is so hard for me to do." He replies, stopping her in her tracks. "I still want you both on my team, but I can understand if either of you want to leave."

"It's that purple haired trollop, Darling; she's planted ideas in your head." Emma says, stepping up to him, and placing a hand on his chest. "I know about your little dalliance in the hanger, and I can forgive that."

"Betsy hasn't told me anything I wasn't already thinking about." He says, and Emma's hand drops to her side. "She just forced me to finally see the truth." He places a hand on her chin, and lifts her head to face him. He sees tears staining her face, and it tugs at his heart. "I'm sorry Em; I really am. I will always love you, but we're not meant to be."

She turns to diamond, cutting off her emotions, and says, "I should probably leave, then. I'll send for the rest of my things once I've settled down." She walks over to her bags, and collects them.

She leaves Cyclops standing there, and walks down the hall. As she turns the corner, she encounters Psylocke leaning against the wall.

"Purple haired trollop? Really Emma? I would have expected a better insult from you." Psylocke says.

Emma stops in her tracks, and puts her bags down. In one swift motion, she grabs Psylocke by the throat and pins her to the wall. Then she leans in and whispers, "If you ever hurt him, Elizabeth, so help me God, I'll find you and make you suffer ten-fold; is that understood?"

"I would never hurt Scott, Emma; unlike you and Jean, I'm loyal." Psylocke replies, with a smile.

"Don't you ever compare me to Jean bloody Grey." Emma growls, before letting go, and gathering her bags.

"Ta-ta, Darling." Psylocke calls out, as Emma walks away. "Don't forget to write."

Once Emma disappears, Psylocke turns the corner, and runs right into Cyclops.

"How long were you there?" She asks, sheepishly.

"Long enough." He replies. "A little bit mean, weren't you?"

She smiles at him, and runs a hand down his chest. "I couldn't help it, Luv; I just won the greatest prize ever. I felt the need to rub it in a little."

"The greatest prize ever, hunh?" Cyclops says, rubbing his chin. "I like the sound of that. Maybe that should be my new nickname, instead of 'Fearless Leader'."

"Don't get too cocky there, sailor; I like you just the way you are." Psylocke says, leaning forward and kissing him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: For those of you that don't get some of the references in this story, here is a brief explanation:

When X-Men was launched back in 1991, Cyclops and Psylocke found themselves on one team, while Jean was on another team in the Uncanny X-Men comic. Anyways, there was a lot of hinted at sexual tension between Cyclops and Psylocke; some of it was harmless flirting, while some of it was more blatant.

X-Men #8 - Cyclops gets distracted by Psylocke stepping out of the lake in a bathing suit, while talking to Jean.

X-Men #9 - Cyclops and Psylocke get separated from the rest of the group, and Psylocke makes a couple of suggestive comments.

X-Men #12 - Cyclops watches Psylocke leave for a trip home from his bedroom window.

Uncanny X-Men #294 – Cyclops daydreams about Psylocke while on a date with Jean.

X-Men #17 - Cyclops and Psylocke talk, and he daydreams about kissing her, to which she tells him he 'thinks' too much and needs to 'do' more. Later that same issue, Cyclops walks in on Psylocke after her shower, and finds her wearing nothing more than a towel and a smile.

X-Men #20 - It finally culminated with Psylocke walking in on Cyclops as he was fixing the Blackbird. He fell from the ladder, and crashed into her. She licked oil off of his face, and then they kissed, before he ran off to Alaska to visit his grandparents.

The storyline was abandoned there, as Psylocke found herself struggling with identity issues, and Cyclops returned to Jean. Soon after Cyclops and Jean got married; however, a sad looking Psylocke can be seen sitting at the wedding.

The reference to Warren, aka Angel or Archangel, is more recent:

Uncanny X-Force #18-19 - Psylocke kills an evil Archangel with a life seed, but it regenerates him entirely into a blank slate. He looks like Angel, with metal wings, but has no memories. Psylocke realizes that he is no longer the man she loves.


	2. Epilogue

**A/N:** This is an epilogue I had written for the story shortly after posting it originally; but the direction Marvel went with the X-Men, and Cyclops specifically, turned me off to the entire Marvel universe so much that I never bothered posting this. I found it recently, when going through some old files, and decided "what the hell". I hope you enjoy it, and that it gives you a glimpse into the mind of the Cyclops I grew up with, and loved; at least, what I think his mind is like.

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men or any other Marvel characters.

**Epilogue**

Cyclops looks out over Utopia from his balcony, lost in thought. His life has taken many twists and turns over the years, but he somehow always manages to land on his feet; or at least pick himself up if he is knocked down.

He's seen loved ones die, and be reborn countless times; friends turn their backs and betray him, and enemies become the staunchest of allies. He's travelled across galaxies, through time, and seen various different realities; even living entire lives sometimes. And through it all, he has had to struggle; fight tooth and nail to survive and find some sense of happiness.

He is looked up to as a leader, a mentor, a teacher, and a friend by many; but reviled as a tyrant, a villain, a foe, and hated by many others. He has loved, and been loved; broken hearts, and had his heart broken. He has been a father, a brother, and a son; and he has been orphaned, and alone. He has been a loving husband, and a widower; and he has broken the sanctity of marriage.

He has made decisions that have sent people to their deaths; and a couple that cost him his own life. He has grieved, and been grieved. And he has killed.

There is darkness inside him that most men would fear, and few would want to possess. He is flawed, and imperfect, but strives for perfection. He desires to control everything he can, but can't control his own powers.

And here he stands, on his balcony, overlooking what he built; his vision. A safe haven for mutant kind.

* * *

><p>Psylocke watches him standing on the balcony, as stoic as the first time she ever met him. If she wasn't a telepath, and hadn't known him for years, she would think him to be apathetic, and a little cold; but she knows he isn't. She knows it's a facade he puts out there so that others will think he is always in control of every situation.<p>

She has been privy to his private thoughts, his most intimate dreams, and his greatest fears; and she knows the real man behind the mask that is Cyclops.

She knows about the self-doubt that still eats away at every decision he makes, despite his years as their leader, and the guilt he feels when his decisions cost others.

She knows about his desire to be a hero, and his fear that he may be seen as a villain.

She has seen his dreams of a world at peace, and witnessed his nightmares of everything he's worked for destroyed at his feet.

She knows just how much love is in him to give, and how much he wants to give it; but his personal loses, and a fear of abandonment make him hold back. She knows that he would like nothing more than to just let everyone know just how much he cares for them, and how proud he is of them; but fear of losing them, or being rejected stop him.

She has seen the darkness that lurks inside of him, and marvels at his ability to suppress it, along with his own desires, for the greater good. She has known darkness herself, and can relate to him in this.

She reaches out and brushes his mind, letting the complexity of his thoughts wash over her like a warm blanket; she's always had a thing for puzzles, and that's what she thinks first drew her to him.

He was such a challenge to figure out in the beginning, his thoughts had always been guarded. But as they worked together, and got to know each other better, his guard started to slip around her; and she was able to finally glimpse the man behind the mask.

What she had seen, she liked, and she found herself being drawn to him; that's when the flirtations had started.

Most of the other X-Men had just assumed it was simply a physical attraction, and she could admit that that had been part of it, but they never knew that the physical attraction had been secondary to her; it was his mind that had her captivated.

What she hadn't counted on, was having to work so hard at seducing him. She knew he loved Jean, but had his doubts about her, and she assumed that she would be able to swoop in and steal him away with little effort. But he made her work for it, despite his obvious attraction to her; and in the end he chose Jean.

That was the reason why, when the opportunity presented itself again, this time with Emma as her opposition, she didn't leave the choice to him; she made it for him.

Sure she felt a little guilty, both times in fact, but she never claimed to be a girl scout.

She sees his shoulders drop a little as his body relaxes to the touch of her mind. Not waiting another second, she stands up from the bed they had just been sharing, and wraps a blanket around herself. She walks out onto the balcony, and wraps her arms around him, letting her head rest against his back.

He reaches up, and interlocks the fingers of his right hand with hers, and holds it close to his chest.

It may have taken her several years, but she finally got the man of her dreams, and she has no intention of letting him get away.

* * *

><p>He feels her mind brush against his, and he relaxes slightly.<p>

He has always felt comfortable around her, other than a few incidents years ago, when she had been trying to seduce him, and he had been trying his hardest to resist; not that he hadn't been attracted to her. She represented something Jean hadn't been for him, freedom; freedom to be himself, and not be judged.

That was what had driven him to Emma; but in the end, Emma was more like Jean than she liked to admit.

Despite their different upbringings, he finds that he has more in common with Psylocke than with anyone else.

That is probably why it was easier to give in to her this time around, and why he doesn't feel as bad as he thought he would.

He also knows that she won't try to fight for his heart against his past; she is content with the here and now. She understands that he still loves Jean, Maddie, and Emma, after all they had been such large parts of his life; but she also understands that his heart is all hers now.

Just like he understands that she will always love Warren.

"Come back to bed, Luv." She whispers into his ear. "The world can wait until tomorrow for Cyclops to save it. Right now, there is something better Scott Summers should be doing."

With one last look at Utopia, he turns around, and takes her into his arms, before kissing her deeply.

He lets her lead him back inside, no longer lost in thought, but focused solely on the mischievous smile on her lips, and intent on making sure she has a reason for that smile.

**THE END**


End file.
